Little Zygote
by kitty-rocket1
Summary: Subaru proposes a younger sibling to the original bet. Seishirou/Subaru.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: This being fan-fiction, I do not own X/1999 by CLAMP.**

Warnings: not sure. Sex, other.

This is purely self-indulgent and it's unlikely I will continue this. I don't have any more plot planned, and I just don't have the stamina to write long/multi-chapter fic. Enjoy?

* * *

 **Little Zygote**

 **Prologue**

Two things happened that led up to Subaru's proposition.

The first was, bizarrely, something Kanoe had said. Despite her minimal magical talent, or perhaps because of it, she had developed an incredible ability to manipulate anyone into doing anything she wanted. This, combined with her unparalleled ability at acquiring gossip and those catty conversations with the Dragons of Earth's Kamui, somehow resulted in Subaru finding out about their remarks that "if Sumeragi wants Sakurazukamori's attention so bad, he should try spreading his legs".

The second thing was Subaru taking this suggestion seriously.

It had been– oh, Seishirou had been surprised to see Subaru at his door, and it was lucky that he found Subaru's clumsy attempts at seduction enduring, but Seishirou had been eating ribs and his hands had still been sticky and he thought, Subaru-kun never eats enough, so he ended up sticking his fingers and his tongue in Subaru's mouth. After that, after they had fucked on the kitchen diner floor and Subaru had gone for a shower, and while Seishirou tried to clean the stains off the tiles, Subaru had come out in his still soiled clothes looking as determined and lost as ever.

"You can't go out in those clothes," Seishirou said. "I'll wash them with mine, and they'll be dry in the morning. Bathe with me."

Perhaps Subaru had been thinking more clearly or maybe he hadn't been thinking at all, but somehow during their bath he had asked Seishirou if he was lonely. "I was lonely," Subaru said. "You were the first to treat me not as a freak, or the Head of the Sumeragi Clan, but as a person," and neither men lost the irony in that.

When Subaru offered to wash his back, Seishirou agreed. "You could kill me like this," as Subaru soaped his shoulders from behind. "Wrap your arm around my neck in a chokehold; hold it until I stopped breathing." Subaru leant his head on Seishirou's right shoulder and smiled to himself, because the idea in his head was his own. He lifted his head up and leaned into Seishirou's ear.

"Let's make a bet," he murmured, and Seishirou listened carefully. "I know that man I fell in love with never existed, but I could never fall out of love with him because I never knew the real you.

"Let me stay with you until the end of this year, and let me know you. Be honest in everything you say and do with me, hurt or love me if you wish. Tell me about your childhood, your university days, what you do in your spare time, and I will try everything in my power to accommodate and understand you.

"When this year ends at the final battle, I will tell you if I am still in love with you, and if I am not then I will kill you as I should. But if I still love you, then kill me, and so take me out of this decade of hell." Subaru lifted his hands from both shoulders, wrapped his arms around Seishirou's chest and kissed his ear gently.

"But until then, I will let you go."


	2. Chapter One

Warnings: alcohol mention, disordered eating, other.

Who knows what they're doing? Not me. I like to think that if I were to write a multi-chapter fic I'd write it all first and then update on a regular schedule, but we all tell ourselves lies.

* * *

 **Little Zygote**

 **Chapter One**

Subaru woke up that morning with a massive headache.

It thrummed and throbbed in his skull, and he huffed with his eyes half open, head otherwise unmoved from the pillow, and while he often slept in hotels instead of his apartment they didn't tend to smell like _that_ , so he told himself that maybe Dutch courage had its drawbacks. It's not like he couldn't remember what had happened the previous night, after all.

Subaru closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

Oh God, what had he _done_? Subaru leaped up off the pillow suddenly, overwhelmed with… something. Something unpleasant. Horror? Guilt? Embarrassment? Pure, unadulterated dread? He couldn't believe what had happened the previous night, the– God, they hadn't even made it to the bed, just did it on the floor, and his knees had rug burn and the palms of his hands hurt too and of course–

No. Meditate. Subaru closed his eyes, breathed deeply one, two, three, four, five, out, two, three, four, five, six, seven–

He could do this. He'd do this when he was younger and couldn't sleep at night, to stop him running over his mistakes that had cost a job or a life or a mind, a simple meditation to keep him calm at night so that his sister wouldn't have to come in and spend _her_ night helping him to sleep. He hadn't had to do it as often after she died because then he stopped caring so much about all of the little mistakes, not after he had made the grandest mistake of all. One, two, three, four, five. Six, seven, eight.

It didn't matter that he had disrespected that one big mistake by what he had done the previous night. It wouldn't make a difference. Seishirou-san wouldn't change, and no one else would change because they would never know, and it was only Subaru that had to repent. Maybe he should go to the bathroom and run a purification bath, soak and shiver in the cold water and let his mind go numb alongside his fingers and toes and lips. Yeah, he thought to himself, that would be a good idea, so Subaru moved the sheets and set his feet down on the floor and walked to where he guessed the bathroom was, and he didn't have to change out of his clothes because he was already naked.

Where was Seishirou-san? Had he already left? It would make it easier to meditate and purify if he wasn't there, so Subaru wasn't too upset, and it's not like he'd ever expect Seishirou-san to stay. Right. He was almost in a good mood by the time he found the bathroom and started to run a bath. A quick shower and a full bathtub later, he slowly sunk into the cold water and let his mind go blank completely, his headache a strange distance away.

.

This was how Seishirou found him twenty minutes later, still and cold and with a blank look on his face.

"You really haven't changed a bit," he smiled to himself, and Subaru hummed confusedly as Seishirou bent down to pick him up. "Still making yourself ill… you'll give yourself a cold, you know." He lifted him up and carried him back to the bed, a parody of a husband carrying his wife over the threshold. "I'm sure that you didn't give yourself enough time to rest." He tucked Subaru into the bed. "Go back to sleep."

 _"Go back to sleep,"_ Subaru thought. Not more of this caring crap. "I told you to be honest with me," Subaru mumbled, and he didn't mean it to come out as sulky as it did but Seishirou just laughed.

"I just don't want you getting ill," He smile– no, smirked– urgh, Subaru still couldn't read him after all these years– "Not when you've offered a new fun game to play with me, Subaru-kun."

Subaru scowled and brought the covers over himself more tightly. "Go away, I have a headache," he complained, and Seishirou raised an eyebrow and stood there looking at him for a moment, before he shrugged and turned around to leave.

"When you're in a better mood there's breakfast on the counter," he said as he walked towards the door, "and your clothes are drying in kitchen." Seishirou didn't mention as he walked away that the clothes drying meant that they wouldn't be ready to wear, so Subaru-kun wouldn't be leaving quite just yet.

He really did smile to himself at that.

.

The second time Subaru woke up he actually _did_ feel better than the first, but then he had to deal with feeling like he had behaved like a brat. _"No more alcohol,"_ he said to himself _, "Stop behaving like a child or he really won't bother with you,"_ and he reached for something to put on when he realised that his clothes were in the kitchen. Right. Sure. Just go to the kitchen, put them on, and leave without losing any more dignity.

When Subaru walked into the kitchen and realised that his clothes were still damp, of _course_ he felt awkward standing there naked while Seishirou sat at one of the counters. Already fully dressed. Reading the newspaper. Seishirou looked at him briefly before returning to his reading, nodding towards the plate of eggy rice still on the counter. Forgetting immediately about how he'd already behaved, Subaru pointed out that it must be cold by now, and Seishirou-san knew that as he was the one who had put him to bed, and what did he mean by that?

Seishirou put the paper down and looked at him more intently than before. "I can go out and get you food from a convenience store if you would like," he replied. "But I'm not getting anything sweet. You need a hearty, healthy breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then why are you upset at the food I made?"

"Why don't you put my clothes in a dryer?"

"Never got into the habit – it can ruin some clothes." Seishirou smiled unkindly. "It can set stains."

"Urgh," was all Subaru had to say, and with that he walked out of the room and went back to a bed that was more comfortable and far less aggravating that the reason he was there in the first place.

.

Third time lucky. Subaru, too irritated to sleep this time, eventually ripped the covers off and stomped back into the kitchen diner, about to give a piece of his mind to that man and to hell with being self-conscious about it, and promptly stopped when he realised that Seishirou had left again.

There was a bento box and a handwritten note lying where Seishirou had been sitting.

 _Dear Subaru-kun_ _–_

Urgh, why was he like this?

 _Dear Subaru-kun,_

 _I've gone out to do some research, and I won't be back until the evening. I bought you some food that I hope you'll like_ _–_ _it's vegetarian_ _–_ _and who knows? Maybe one day I'll make you a homemade one. You could take it to work._

 _Your clothes should be dry soon, but feel free to stay until I return. Maybe we can have some more fun tonight?_

– _Seishirou._

Well then. It took a moment, after the initial irritation at Seishirou's cheek, but Subaru started to smile to himself. What on earth could he do to pass the time, if Seishirou wanted him to stay? He put the note down and wondered if Seishirou had any good books –or interesting documents– that he could find and have a look at. As moody as Subaru had been that morning –was it even still morning?– it looked like he was in a good mood now, and Subaru picked up the bento box and thought about what sort of things he might find and learn about.

But first, chopsticks.

.

Perhaps Seishirou had anticipated Subaru and his impromptu investigation, but there were no documents to be found in the apartment. Fortunately there were plenty of books, so Subaru set about reading one about veterinary anaesthesia (did he still practice? Somehow Subaru doubted it), wrapped in a dark shawl he had found tucked away at the back of a cupboard. Despite not finding anything scandalous to read, or maybe because of it, Subaru felt warm and cosy and quite happy, reading about the many different drugs that he couldn't pronounce the name of.

Seishirou could. Why had he kept this book and so many others like it that tied back to his past life before he betrayed Subaru? If he had opened another veterinary clinic under his name Subaru would have found out. Seishirou probably didn't _miss_ it as such, but it must have been a bit of a nuisance closing up shop to never practice again, all to stay hidden from Subaru, and Subaru felt a sense of pride from disrupting Seishirou's monotone life just a little. He must have been good at school to become a vet, because as many connections as he must have had it couldn't be much more than Subaru, and Subaru knew _he_ couldn't have cheated his way into veterinary school and set up a business without the right qualifications. What were his favourite subjects at school? Did he have any? Was he better at some but worse at others?

As interesting as the book was the text was a little on the heavy side, so after an hour or so Subaru got up to replace it with a new one. Seishirou had books everywhere, but he had a dedicated bookshelf in his room and another in the living area, and maybe nearly as many books as Subaru had at home. Books on philosophy, psychology, accounting, religion, history…

None on music, or art. Nothing non-fiction, beyond the classics.

Subaru picked out a psychology book, one on social interaction, and was relieved to see something a little less dense compared to the first. He closed it, brought it to the sofa he had just left, and opened it up again to read. This one he decided to read cover to cover and he started at the back page to read the blurb.

 _Difficulty with interacting with other people? Bad at understanding other people's social cues? Read this to–_

Subaru flipped the book over and opened it once more to read the table of contents. Had Seishirou read this as part of a sociology course? Or like a study guide?

Well, it's not like Subaru himself was perfect at expressing himself. He probably spent as much time alone as Seishirou did.

…Maybe he could learn something from this himself.

.

Subaru had read half the book by the time it was dark. He hadn't even realised he hadn't eaten anything since the bento box, and that was how Seishirou came home from a day's worth of scouting: with an engrossed Subaru sitting on his couch. When Subaru looked up at Seishirou the taller man seemed pleased.

"You stayed."

"We made a bet." _"And I'm not letting go of any chance to get to know you,"_ Subaru didn't add.

"So we did." He sat down next to Subaru. "What are you reading?"

"A book of yours." Subaru held it up. "About understanding other people."

"I wouldn't expect you to need help with that. You're the most empathetic person I know."

"It's about social cues as well." Subaru put the book back down onto his lap. "There's understanding a person's feelings but there's also understanding what they want to communicate."

"Is there a difference?"

"One's emotional, one's intentional." Subaru gestured vaguely. "Or what you want to actually say to someone."

"I don't understand."

"Well," Subaru started, "you might feel a certain way but not want the other person to know. That's the first thing. The second is what you _do_ want them to know, even subconsciously."

"So empathy is understanding a secret?"

"I don't know." Subaru shrugged and put the book aside before tuning to Seishirou properly. "I don't think I'm explaining it properly."

"I think I understand."

"No, I mean…" Subaru turned his head to look to the side, searching for the words he wanted to use. "I… as an example. Uh… someone might like someone, and they might even be liked back, but the first person might still not want to actually be with them."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"The first one might be married… so they might want to be with that other person, but acting on it could hurt the person they're already with. So they keep their feelings to themselves." Seishirou still looked confused. "So they uh… use their brain, instead of their heart?"

"…Subaru-kun, I don't think I'm going to understand what you're talking about."

Subaru sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't think I'm explaining myself properly."

"No, it's fine." Seishirou reached out his hand to lightly run his fingers through the ends of the hairs on Subaru's head. "Maybe I just don't understand these things."

Subaru hummed noncommittedly and Seishirou pressed the palm of his hand against the side of Subaru's head, cupping it gently. They stayed like that for a moment, Seishirou playing with Subaru's hair with the tips of his fingers, before brushing it back once with his hand before getting up.

"Have you eaten anything else today?"

Subaru shook his head.

"Hmm… I could make something with fish and rice, if you'd like? I'd have to have a rummage through the fridge. I wonder what I could use for vegetables…"

.

Seishirou was still a decent cook after all these years. He had baked cookies with Hokuto when the three of them were still together, occasionally burning them, but it turned out that Seishirou was better at cooking savoury, filling food. Subaru couldn't manage to finish his plate but still ate more than he usually did. He had gotten into the habit of just grabbing something to go at a convenience store, he explained, and Seishirou had replied that he wasn't surprised.

"You're still as thin as ever," he had said. "Your family and comrades must worry about you."

His family and comrades. Subaru hadn't thought about them all day. _Did_ he worry them? Was he worrying them now?

"What about _your_ allies? Acquaintances?"

"Oh, I'm sure we're not as close-knit as yours." Seishirou shrugged. "I haven't seen any of them since we first met up."

"You did?"

"Now now," Seishirou scolded lightly, "I can't reveal any fun end-of-the-world secrets to you, I'm afraid."

"Are there any?"

"I can't tell you." Seishirou winked at him, and Subaru tried to hide how taken aback he was by it. "I don't think espionage suits you anyway, Subaru-kun." He scooped up another mouthful of rice. "I doubt anyone would tell me. I'm not sure if there are any actual plans, if I'm being fully honest."

Subaru looked down at his half empty plate. "It really is the end of the world, huh."

Seishirou hummed affirmatively, and then leaned over to steal some fish from Subaru's plate. "It's been quiet ever since that boy made his choice. When was that? A month ago?"

 _"That boy…"_ Subaru startled. "He said he'd met you."

"Oh? When was this?"

"The same day he made his choice." Subaru battered away another of Seishirou's attempts at his food. "When did you meet?"

"We fought in the Diet Building."

" _What?_ "

"And one other time, before he made his choice. That was when I first met the other boy."

"What? Why?"

"That, I'm afraid, is another secret," Seishirou made another, third, attempt at Subaru's food. This time he was successful. "But enough about business! What do you say to a date later this week?"

"Huh?"

"There's this lovely restaurant that, for some reason, only lets multiple people order this famous dish. I've been wanting to try it for years."

"Couldn't you go with a hostess?"

"I'm asking to go with you."

Subaru opened his mouth to say he didn't want to go but closed it again. Why was he so determined to avoid interacting with Seishirou, when that's what he had asked for? Asked to get to know him? To receive his attention?

Was it a fear of publicity?

"Will you behave while we're there?"

This time, Seishirou was confused. "Pardon?"

"Will you be… embarrassing?"

"When have I ever done that?"

Subaru sighed, and rested his head in his hand. "Never mind. Fine, I'll go." He put his chopsticks down and pushed his plate to the side. "I've finished eating."

Seishirou looked at the half-eaten food and then looked back at Subaru. "Okay," he said. "And if I'm well behaved, do I get a treat afterwards?"

Subaru sighed again. Seishirou took that as a yes, and started to clear the table with an unusual degree of perkiness. Subaru sat there as Seishirou moved his plate away from him to wash up, humming to himself as he went, and Subaru asked himself when he had fallen in love with a child.


	3. Chapter Two

Warnings: smoking, sexual assault / rape, suicide, other.

Please assume that any previous warnings may also apply for later chapters. Also, while this is rated M, there won't be any explicit sex scenes.

* * *

 **Little Zygote**

 **Chapter Two**

The next day Subaru decided he needed to get out of the apartment, especially as he didn't have damp clothes as an excuse to keep him inside. He could already feel himself getting a little stir-crazy; he was so used to travelling for work and for Seishirou, never keeping still after Hokuto died, and besides, he didn't want Seishirou to get so used to him that he got bored. He seemed to be holding Seishirou's interest at the moment, and Subaru had no intention of screwing that up.

There was also the small matter of a job he was scheduled to do that afternoon, but some things were more important than others.

First off: clothes. Subaru tried to get out of bed as quietly as he could and lifted the sheets ever-so-gently off his shoulders, and laid them next to his sleeping companion so as not to disturb him. He shifted closer and closer to the edge of the bed, as slowly as he could. Swung his legs over–

An arm reached out and wrapped around his waist. Subaru sighed.

"Hello," a quiet voice murmured. "Any plans for today, Subaru-kun?"

"Mhm," was all Subaru could say.

"Do you have work today?"

"Yes."

"Do you have to leave now?"

"No, I can wait."

"Ah," Seishirou exhaled as he pulled Subaru back into the bed. "Still as talkative as ever." He grinned. "How can you still be so like that boy from all those years ago, but still manage to surprise me?"

"…I'm still a little too sleepy for this."

"Ah." Seishirou didn't remove his arm. Subaru waited and rested his head back onto the pillow. Another game? Well, he could wait a little bit.

Waiting on the verge of something –anything– stretches seconds into days. Sooner than he'd like to admit, Subaru got bored. "Will you let me go?" Seishirou's grip held firm. "Please?"

"Why?"

"…Do I need a reason? Let me go."

"Do you need the toilet?"

"Seishirou-san, this is ridiculous. Let me out."

"But you're so warm and cuddly, Subaru-kun." Seishirou's arm tightened and he pulled him in closer. "Why would you ever want to leave?"

Why was he–"Why are you doing this?"

"Actually you're not terribly warm and cuddly. You're as thin as ever, and your hands and feet are cold. Do you have poor circulation?"

"Seishirou-san–"

"Let me help you get warm," and the world span as Seishirou flipped Subaru underneath him. Subaru managed to get his bearings and looked back up at Seishirou, who leaned down closer to him and seemed to purr. "You look good in my mother's shawl." Seishirou reached a hand up to rest it in Subaru's hair, as he leaned on his other arm. He smiled and dipped his head lower to inhale where Subaru's neck met his shoulder.

"Seishirou-san–"

"Do you think I'm sexy?" Seishirou shifted his lips next to his ear. "You never–"

"Seishirou-san!" And with that Subaru shoved the other man by his shoulders, pushing him away, more than irritated at this point. "Stop it!"

Seishirou caught his balance and looked at him passively, all of the heat and fire gone from his body. After a moment he shifted further away from Subaru to the end of the bed, still with an expression Subaru couldn't read. "I see."

"You're being ridiculous!"

"Ah."

"Don't– Urgh!" Subaru ripped what was left of the duvet off the bed and leapt off, angry and shaken. "Don't ever do that again!" Without looking Subaru stormed out and found himself in the toilet, rattled and shaking and cold.

He turned around and locked himself in, hands still trembling. He stood there for a moment trying to calm down, doing breathing exercises, and after a minute he sat down on the seat.

 _"What the hell,"_ he asked himself. _"What was that all about?"_ He ran his fingers through his hair and lifted the toilet lid to sit back down again. He had lost the shawl in the commotion, naked again, and he put his head into his hands and groaned. _"Why was Seishirou-san behaving so strangely?"_ He rubbed his forehead into his palms. _"Was he upset that we didn't have sex last night? Is that it? Is that the only reason he's letting me stay?"_

Subaru put his arms back down into his lap and sat up straight. Well then. If Seishirou-san was only interested in him for that, Subaru would put up with it, but not without a fight. Subaru had to make a stand for whatever miniscule dignity he had left. Maybe he could even use it to his advantage. Seishirou had mentioned his mother, after all.

Seishirou's mother. That mysterious woman he had only mentioned once before, just before he tried to kill Subaru: the woman he murdered to become the Sakurazukamori. He wondered what she had been like. Had she loved Seishirou? Known what kind of a man she had created? Hadn't she been the previous Sakurazukamori, or had that been another one of Seishirou's lies?

Finally calm Subaru stood up and lifted the toilet lid. He wouldn't let Seishirou get the better of him, and this was another bet they had made so he should expect some games. This time he was a knowing participant, and this time he could play some games of his own. He would win, and Seishirou-san wouldn't know what would hit him.

But he was in the toilet for now, and after all he was only human. No point in making a second trip.

.

It was nice, sitting in a small café waiting for time to pass by. The carrot cake he had ordered was moist and sweet, if not a little on the pricy side, but the tea was warm and cosy so Subaru figured it was a good deal. He had waited in the toilet for over an hour until he thought that Seishirou had left, before putting on his clothes and leaving the apartment. It was sunny and bright outside.

He should phone the estate to check the address of his job, so he did, and then lit a cigarette after the call was over. It was in an affluent part of Tokyo, not too far away from Seishirou's apartment, and he still had two and a half hours to kill before he had to be there. There were no notable details he could work on yet; disturbances in an apartment complex, mostly at night. No known suicides or yokai. Nothing else Subaru had to work with to prepare for his visit.

It was as noisy as it ever was in Tokyo. Subaru turned his head to look out into the crowded street outside, at students and businessmen and couples in love. Wealthy shoppers, families with small children. More than a few foreigners. A touristy part of Tokyo, and Subaru should have been able to make a comment on how Tokyo had moved on a decade later, but he wasn't sure if it had changed much at all.

He couldn't remember ever really having a good look at the people on the street when he first came here with his sister, driven by one of the family's many servants. He'd never really thought about having come from a wealthy background. It was always the history of the clan that was emphasised. Hokuto was always buying new clothes, but it never crossed his mind that most people would worry about the money she must have spent over the years. He had been sheltered in many ways. He had been lucky.

"Luck" was subjective. Even if Subaru's life hadn't been perfect, he had met so many people over the years who had also suffered. Perhaps suffered greater than him, who knew? Some of them had even suffered in a way similar to him, but in the end, pain was also subjective. Like happiness, or love. Weren't most things subjective?

Subaru didn't know. He had his opinions, but opinions don't really count that much in the end. He looked back at the table. His tea was cold.

.

In the end the job had been another suicide. A cleaner from another country. She had been poor and dazzled by the city lights from hundreds or thousands of miles away, so she had travelled to make her fortune in a foreign land. She couldn't legally work in Japan, so she had worked in a cleaning company owned by Yakuza that cleaned the most expensive homes in the city; she had worked hard, tried to save up to bring her younger brother over, saved yen by yen by skipping meals and freezing in the winter. One of the clients in the top floor of the apartment Subaru had exorcised had asked her to reclean the bath –she had never had any complaints before, or since– and then said, well, if your employers found out about a shoddy job then they wouldn't be too happy, would they? But he was willing to let it go.

She'd only agreed because he knew she couldn't say no.

Subaru stopped walking and looked down. His shoelace was untied, so he leaned against a wall to tie it back up again. The woman, the one who had become a ghost, had died after she found out she was pregnant. She couldn't raise a child and couldn't bear an abortion, so she had jumped into Tokyo Bay with a bucket full of stones. Her family never found out. She might never have moved on if the earthquakes hadn't woken her up.

There had been more spiritual disturbances this year, ever since the earthquakes had started. Subaru stood up again and continued to walk towards his apartment; the ghost had torn up his shirt, so he needed to change into some new clothes before he went to CLAMP Campus. Another job, another soul consumed by the city. He never asked her what her name was.

.

The campus was as stunning as ever, with its strange mix of modern and traditional buildings. Maybe Subaru should go to one of his university classes, now that he didn't have to spend all of his time looking for Seishirou.

It really was a beautiful day. The leaves glistened and danced around him, casting ribbons made of shadows.

"Subaru!"

Tokyo's miracle boy jogged up to Subaru with a crumpled rucksack in his arms. He looked messy but relieved. "I was wondering… but you… I– Sorry."

"You're already back in school."

"Yeah, well…" Kamui shifted and tried to hide a wince. "I know the doctors said I needed at least another month to heal, but…"

"You know yourself the best."

"Right! But I suppose, they're the experts…" Kamui dropped the bag onto the floor, inhaling painfully. "Urgh…"

"I'm surprised you can walk on that leg, let alone run." Subaru sat down on the nearest bench and patted the seat next to him gently. "Sit down."

Kamui complied. He looked unhappy.

"You didn't mention anything about being let out so soon the last time I saw you."

Kamui pulled a face. "I agreed that I should heal properly before going back, but something Sorata said…"

"Oh?"

"N-Never mind." Kamui tried to smile weakly. "I, um. Finished my first day back at school today. The teachers gave me loads of homework."

"Kamui."

"I know it's a bit much to ask, but if you have any free time, could you, uh, help me with some of it?"

"Huh?" Subaru was momentarily distracted by Kamui's request. "What?"

"I just, I. Please?"

Subaru wasn't fooled. "Kamui, what did he say?" Kamui huffed and looked utterly miserable. Subaru pressed. "What was it?"

"Just a dumb rumour."

"…Kamui."

"All right!" Kamui exclaimed, before crossing his arms and curling back into himself. "It's just, Sorata said something about you and that man."

"…Oh."

"But when he saw my face he backed off. Said something about, "I'm not making this up, it's in the logs!", or whatever."

"What's in the logs?"

"How should I know?" Kamui looked more and more irritated. "I just got out the hospital, remember?"

"Hm…" Subaru wondered… "Does the computer log all of its information requests?"

"Not sure. Probably."

"That might be it then…" Well, it's not like Subaru knew where Seishirou was living beforehand. The CLAMP Campus data logs, which included follow-up data on all of its ex-students, cross-referenced with confidential government data CLAMP Campus _probably_ shouldn't have had access to, did. Did everyone else know that he'd searched for where Seishirou lived?

…They wouldn't assume anything other than business, right?

"What did he say about me and Seishirou-san?"

"Something he had no business saying about you and that man."

"…Oh." Oh. That wasn't very reassuring. "Well, um. You're right, it isn't his business." Subaru smiled at Kamui. "Is that why you're out of the hospital?"

"…It's not fair if everyone else is working to save the city while I'm feeling sorry for myself in bed."

…At least Kamui wasn't jumping to conclusions about Subaru and Seishirou's relationship. "Hm, that's understandable. I can't say I've never gone back to work before I was ready." Subaru cupped one of Kamui's cheeks with his hand. "But I'm not a very good role model. We need you healthy before you can start defending Kekkai."

Kamui blushed at this and nodded. "Hm… that makes sense. But still!" He looked at Subaru imploringly. "You never answered my question. Will you help me with my homework?" He started to lose his determination at Subaru's nonplussed expression. "Uh, I skipped a lot of school in Okinawa…"

Subaru smiled again. "Okay," he agreed. "I'm a high-school dropout myself, but I'll do what I can. Maybe I'll learn something too…"

"Great!" Kamui looked happier than Subaru had ever seen him. "I won't ask for help now, 'cause Sorata'll have a fit if I don't get back soon, but can we do something on Saturday evening?"

Saturday was when Seishirou's dinner-date was planned. "Um, er…"

"Or, I mean. You don't have to help me if you don't want." Kamui looked dejected. "I understand… you must be busy."

"No, don't worry!" Subaru panicked. "It's fine! I just, er, can't do that evening. Erm… I'm not busy on Friday evening, if that helps? Is that okay?"

Kamui relaxed and smiled. "Okay, sure." He got out a pen from a pencil case in his rucksack and scribbled on the inside of his palm. "Friday at seven, yeah? I should've eaten by then."

"Sure."

"I'll probably be back in the hospital by then." Kamui pulled a rueful face. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't have rushed out of the hospital before my body was ready. Still," and he put the pen back where it belonged, "maybe some homework would be good for me. Pass the time, like."

"Right."

"Hospitals can get really boring. So…" Kamui got up and started getting ready to leave. "Feel free to come and visit anytime, okay? If… if you want."

Subaru nodded, and Kamui turned around and left. He was limping slightly. Subaru looked down at his feet. His other shoelace was undone.

Kamui had made no hint about getting out of the hospital so soon. It was a miracle he could walk yet; had Subaru's information request been enough to jolt that boy out of bed in such a hurry? Just to see him? Subaru frowned and bent down to redo his shoelaces. He wasn't disturbing the flow of fate with this new bet with Seishirou-san, was he?

No, of course not. Subaru realised he had messed up the knot and undid it to try again. Only Kamui could change destiny, he reminded himself, so calm down and stop thinking everything you do is so important. He finished and stood up, and started to walk towards the shopping district inside CLAMP Campus, where the bakery and tea shops were. He fancied himself an ice-cream.


End file.
